In most automotive vehicles, a front pillar is covered, at its inner surface facing a vehicle compartment, with a pillar garnish. Among the conventionally-known pillar garnishes are ones formed so that a region thereof visible from the eye point (or eye position) of a vehicle occupant seated in a seat of the vehicle has a reduced width to thereby secure a wide field of view of the vehicle occupant. Japanese Patent No. 3279114 discloses an example of such a pillar garnish.
The pillar garnish disclosed in the 3279114 patent is formed in a generally U sectional shape and has its central curved portion mounted, via a mounting bracket, to the inner surface, facing the vehicle compartment, of the front pillar. The mounting bracket has a generally rhomboidal shape, so that a region of the pillar garnish visible from the eye point (eye position) of a vehicle occupant has a reduced width.
However, the pillar garnish disclosed in the No. 3279114 patent, where only the central curved portion is mounted to the front pillar via the mounting bracket, may undesirably swing about the central curved portion. Thus, it is difficult to retain the pillar garnish in a stable manner and appropriately position the pillar garnish relative to other components around the pillar garnish.
Further, in the pillar garnish disclosed in the No. 3279114 patent, the pillar garnish is mounted in such a manner that its edges are located inside flanges of the pillar, and thus, the flanges of the pillar project outwardly of the edges of the pillar garnish. Consequently, the field of view of the vehicle occupant would be undesirably hindered or narrowed.